Heating & Cooling

BTU is an abbreviation for British Thermal Unit, which is the international measure of energy. An air conditioner's BTU must be matched to the size of the room for adequate cooling. BTU tables estimate different energy requirements.

A:Repair a swamp cooler by replacing defective parts, such as blower motors, floats, pumps and evaporative pads. In areas where swamp coolers are common, most home improvement stores carry these parts. Swamp coolers are simple cooling devices and most owners can make repairs easily.

A:Several different issues cause a central heating system to stop working. For instance, when the power is out, most systems no longer provide heat. Even though a forced air system uses natural gas as fuel, it may require electricity to operate the blower. If too many lights and electronics are on in the house, power overload can trip the electrical circuit breakers and affect the central heating system.

A:The exact method depends on the thermostat, but most programmable thermostats have a reset switch or button. This is often located below the main panel of the thermostat or on the side where it is difficult to press by accident.

A:According to the U.S. government's Energy Star website, about half a home's energy bill goes to heating and cooling, so one way to cut down on electric bills is to ensure heating and cooling equipment work efficiently and to seal the house to avoid temperature leakage. Other ways to cut down on electricity include using hot water sparingly, upgrading to energy-efficient appliances and turning off lights when not in use.

A:The igniter, flame sensor and high-limit switch are the parts of a furnace that can be replaced. Other replaceable furnace parts include the mounting bracket, fan blade, control board, capacitor and drain pan.

A:Most electric heaters are capable of turning electricity into heat efficiency, but they generally cost more than gas- and oil-powered devices to run. Power plants, most of which are fueled by coal and natural gas, lose energy by converting heat into electricity.

A:Use the area of a room to determine the proper air conditioner size estimate, which is measured in British thermal units per hour. A 100- to 150-square-foot room needs a 5,000 BTU per hour unit, while a 400- to 450-square-foot room needs a 10,000 BTU per hour unit.

A:Fans do not typically cause the temperature in a room to drop. It is possible to use a fan to create a wind-chill cooling effect under certain circumstances. A person without air conditioning may only circulate hot air when setting a fan in the center of a warm room.

A:Thermostats vary by design, but digital thermostats typically have both the current temperature and the target temperature. Traditional thermostats generally have a knob or lever attached to a marker that points to the desired temperature.

A:A good temperature to set the thermostat to during the summertime is 78 degrees Fahrenheit. It is recommended that electricity consumers set the thermostat temperature to 85 degrees when they are away from home.

A:Depending on the level of damage found, removing and replacing the air conditioner cord plug head is the best way to repair the cord on an AC window unit. Power cords with multiple tears and cuts in the rubber casing or damaged electrical wires should be replaced instead of repaired.

A:Troubleshoot heating problems at home by determining the cause, such as a thermostat merely being set at too low a temperature, by the problem, which is that the furnace does not put out enough heat. The solution is to raise the thermostat settings to a comfortable temperature.

A:To repair a Frigidaire dehumidifier, first identify the actual problem, and then clean or replace the affected part. Common problems with Frigidaire dehumidifiers include incorrectly set humidistats, defective fan motors and dirty condenser coils.

A:Reset procedures vary widely depending on the model of the Honeywell thermostat, but they include pressing System to reconfigure the settings or temporarily inserting the batteries backwards. Call the Honeywell technical support line or refer to the thermostat's manual for exact reset instruction for a particular model.

A:A pilot light flame stops burning if the thermocouple is damaged or misaligned. The thermocouple is a piece of wire placed near the pilot light flame that detects heat. If no heat is detected, the pilot closes the gas valve to prevent unburned fuel from entering the home.

A:The formula for calculating BTU loss or gain in converting CFM to BTU is temperature difference times actual CFM leakage times 1.08 equals BTU loss or gain. CFM is the actual cubic feet of air volume per minute pushed through the HVAC unit. BTU is the British thermal unit of heat removed from the room by the HVAC unit.